3 incredibly useful photo apps for PR pros (none of them are Instagram)

Mark my words, 2013 will be the year of the photo. We were just getting primed in 2012. Facebook acquired Instagram. Photo posts on Facebook got more likes than links, text or videos.

Your audience doesn't read your posts anymore—unless there is a photo to pull them in.

Take Mashable, for instance. Every one of its posts on Facebook has a photo. In fact, at times it can be hard to find the link to the article the picture represents.

With filters, editing apps, and vintage cameras, you can truly make your photos stand out.

When taking photos at events and putting together content for my clients, here are the top three lesser-known apps I can't live without. (Everyone knows about Instagram, after all.)

1. AfterFocus Pro

You know those really cool pictures people take with their DSLR cameras where the person in the foreground is focused but the background is blurry? I always was very jealous of that look. With AfterFocus Pro, you can have that effect with just a few keystrokes. Pick your foreground, mid-ground and background, and bam! You have a beautiful picture. It's available on iPhone or Android.

My Turkey Day before AfterFocus Pro:

My Turkey Day after AfterFocus Pro:

2. HDR Camera

HDR Camera is, in a word, magical. Here's my basic understanding: When you take a picture, the camera takes a few pictures in a row, letting in light at different apertures. This way your darks become darker and your colors become brighter, which makes for striking pictures.

Some people think you can overdo it with HDR. I just think it's amazing. You do have to hold the phone very still though, because the camera overlays each of the pictures for the effect. HDR Camera is available on iPhone or Android.

My vacation in West Virginia before HDR Camera:

My vacation in West Virginia after HDR Camera:

3. Diptic

Do you want to really tell a story with your photos? Download Diptic. It allows you to patch a few pictures together to tell a story. The photos are easy to share on Foursquare and Instagram, too. Grab it on iPhone or Android.

For example, here's a collage of a rainy day in Maine:

You better have these apps on your phone for 2013. What are some of your favorites?

Rosalie Morton is a senior account executive at CRT/tanaka. A version of this post originally appeared on The Buzz Bin.